Aerodynamic relationships inherent in Newtonian impact theory.

Abstract

Aerodynamic relationships are derived which are inherent in Newtonian impact theory. Some of these relationships are independent of the particular body configuration and some depend only on the projected area of the body. The expressions derived are in a generalized form and apply to any coordinate system. In addition, they are applicable to any threedimensional configuration and for any attitude, subject to the limitations of Newtonian impact theory. The generalized expressions are applied to specific cases: two-dimensional, axisymmetric, and general three-dimensional configurations. In addition to the basic relationships, differential equations defining the drag (and, hence, lift and side force) variation with attitude as a function of the projected area are derived, and the lift-to-drag ratio is shown to be proportional to the rate of change of the drag coefficient. Finally, a comparison of the theory with experiment shows a good correlation.